ASTRO RADIO LEADS WITH 1.13 MILLION LISTENERS IN EAST MALAYSIA

Kota Kinabalu, 5 October, 2017 – The Radio Listenership Survey East Malaysia 2017 by GfK reported that Astro Radio is gaining listenership in Sabah and Sarawak, with a reach of 1.13 million weekly listeners or 85.4% across the two states, including Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Kuching and Miri.

ERA fm recorded the highest number of breakfast show and drive-time listeners at 357,361 and 296,224 weekly respectively. hitz fm registered 271,075 weekly listeners for its breakfast show and 226,089 listeners for its drive-time show, whilst MY FM, attracted 140,730 and 124,740 weekly listeners for its breakfast and drive-time shows respectively.

Hafizuddin Nizamuddin, General Manager for Astro Radio Sabah and Sarawak said, “Our radio brands have recorded an average Time Spent Listening (TSL) at 12 hours 20 minutes, which reinforced that we continue to resonate with our listeners. We would like to thank our listeners and clients in Sabah and Sarawak for their unwavering support, which contributed to our improved performance.

As we continue our efforts to serve our Sabah and Sarawak listeners, we are happy to localise our content and talent to suit the local cultures. Local talents like Adnan, Jay Jay, Lopz, Tian Long, Natasha and Keith (Sabah), and Fir Affandi, Afick, Chris, Addy, and Natasha (Sarawak) joined us as radio hosts and have resonated with our listeners. In addition, it is great to see that in our effort to deliver content that suits the local palette, we have also managed to achieve outstanding results for our campaigns. It is these success stories that have allowed us to reach greater heights in our milestones. With our presence in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Kuching and Miri, we look forward to widen our reach in Sabah and Sarawak.”

The strength of Astro Radio in Sabah and Sarawak extends across its digital platforms, recording an outstanding digital performance. Astro Radio’s digital fan base in East Malaysia has grown tremendously with over 4 million[i] social media fans while its social media posts reach over 3.5 million[ii] people daily.

The annual Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) 2017 survey by GfK also reported that Astro Radio continues to lead in Malaysia with an increased reach of 78.1%. This is evident throughout its nine radio brands. Astro’s nine radio station digital platforms are visited by 14 million social media fans[iii], while its weekly social media reach registered over 16.3 million people daily[iv].

“While Astro Radio has always used its studios and digital platforms to directly communicate with its listeners, the advancement of technology has further enhanced communication flow with the availability of smart devices. We can now reach our listeners or provide them with information on the go, in formats easily shareable with others,” said Hafizuddin.

Conducted over a period of six weeks for Peninsular Malaysia and two weeks for East Malaysia via traditional and e-methods nationwide in Malaysia, the GfK’s RAM survey studied the listening habits of Malaysians aged 10 and above. For the first, Radio Listenership Survey for East Malaysia extended its reach to measure listeners in Miri and Sandakan, in addition to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.